


sometimes, it sucks to play

by oswinosgoodsscarf



Category: Beetlejuice - Perfect/Brown & King
Genre: Depression, Ficlet, Gen, Mental Health Issues, ghost parents are there for lydia (even though adam's only mentioned at the end), past suicide attempt mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-13
Updated: 2020-10-13
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:53:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26993962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oswinosgoodsscarf/pseuds/oswinosgoodsscarf
Summary: because you don't bounce back so easily from a suicide attempt(aka a look at how i see lydia's depression playing out)
Relationships: Lydia Deetz & Barbara Maitland
Comments: 4
Kudos: 23





	sometimes, it sucks to play

**Author's Note:**

> look this was mostly just a vent fic for me to write/tinker on whenever i was feeling shitty, but i honestly sort of wish more fics would delve into lydia's depression? (i've seen a few really good ones around, maybe i've missed others!)  
> so this is just my contribution to it, i guess. have only lightly proof-read for mistakes.

From the moment she woke up, Lydia knew it was going to be a Bad Day. Not the urgent kind of Bad Day that used to be her norm; her grief and anger not leaving room for anything else. It was not the kind of agonizing and unavoidable pain that made impaling herself on a birdbath sound appealing.

Rather, it was the sort of Bad Day that made the idea of "getting out of bed" and “talking to people” and "living life" kind of impossible. The kind of day that just felt... numb. No fear or joy or motivation in sight. Just a permeating sense of apathy with maybe some vague despair pressing her down into the bed, sinking their claws into her.

Lydia heard the sounds of the others waking up and starting their days/house coming to life; she could hear her father chuckling with Delia, Adam humming off-tune as he made breakfast, the chugging of the coffeemaker and a sizzling pan accompanying the voices. The sounds would normally make her smile and slip downstairs to slot into the morning routine of the household, surrounded by the warmth of her family and their comforting existence.

In a house with so many people, she still managed to feel lonely. Incredible.

She knew that she would normally be tempted to go downstairs and join her family, but now the thought just sat heavy on her chest; the impossibility of pretending she was OK loomed over her.

  
  
  


A soft knock broke through Lydia's hazy thoughts, the door creaking open to reveal Barbara holding a steaming mug.

  
  


"Hey honey, we noticed you didn't come down for breakfast... is everything OK?"

  
  


All Lydia could do was sigh, burrowing deeper into her blankets.

Setting the mug down on the nightstand, Barbara sat on the bed with the teen, softly brushing her hair out of her face.

  
  


"Bad day, sweetie?"

  
  
  


Lydia nodded. At that, the Barbara started maneuvering the teen until she was sat mostly upright, leaning against the ghost, mug now balanced in her lap.

  
  


"I'm sorry Ghost Mom. No reason, today. Just... woke up like this."

  
  


Barbara just shushed her, continuing to stroke her hair.

  
  


"It's ok, sweetheart, we all get it. How about we get up and go to the couch? We can put on all those horror movies you like and Adam and I can keep you company while your Dad and Delia go to work. Does that sound alright?"

  
  


Lydia nodded, even though the thought of moving filled her with a numb despair. She knew she'd feel better afterwards, but getting there was still... unpleasant. Still, she noticed Barbara's blinding smile when she finished her drink, swung her legs off the mattress and stood up, mug in hand. All throughout the herculean effort of relocating to the couch, gentle hands guided her, lending her strength when she slowed down.

  
  


Even if she couldn't muster up her usual range of emotions, the sight of Adam waiting for them on the couch, ready to hug her and bombard them both with bad jokes made the weight on her chest lessen enough for the rest of the day to not sound as bad as it did upon awakening. Sat between the two ghosts, Lydia felt the beginnings of a tiny smile start to grow.


End file.
